FAQ
Q: What is the purpose of Ambient Sound recording?
A: The recording of Ambient Sound is filling the “gaps” on situation and decision making prior to an officially from VCS recorded conversation over radio or telephone. The Ambient Sound audio feeds for recording are completely independent of the VCS - Voice Communication Systems.
Q: Is there any international official body describing Ambient or Background Sound recording?
A: ICAO’s Annex 11 chapter 3.3.3 to Convention on International Civil Aviation (Doc 7300/9) is describing this application.
Q: What are the main elements of an ASCS - Ambient Sound Control System?
Q: Is the Remote Access password protected?
A: Ambicon ASCS provides password protection against unauthorized access.
Q: What is the connection between Maintenance and Configuration terminal and each of the ACU 8 units?
A: Connection is via Ethernet, each of the ACU 8 units has own IP-address.
Q: What is the connection and format for the output audio signal?
A: The ACU 8 provides up to 12 analogue audio signal outputs on 2-wire balanced lines at 0dBu level (maximum +20dBu)
Q: Can the audio signal be distributed in VoIP format?
A: Yes, it can with optional multiplexing unit. This is very useful if the audio signal shall be transported over long distance to remote legal recording system
Q: Does Ambicon ASCS use noise cancelling microphones for the sound capture?
A: No, noise cancelling microphones are completely unsuitable for this application as these are designed for very close proximity to the mouth.
Q: What microphones are used in Ambicon ASCS?
A: We at Ambicon make a microphone selection from normally 3 different types, each with different properties, in order to obtain best coverage of the desired signal and respective reduction of unwanted signal. The type preference is also dependent on the physical location that can be accepted by the user.
Q: How do you design the exact location of the microphones?
A: We believe in close co-operation with the user and will search for the best compromise for the acoustical, esthetical and practical location. Our solid experience in the field of electro-acoustics is our contribution to successful solutions.
Q: How is the practical planning process?
A: The best is to perform a site survey with the user as basis for the design of the solution. An alternative to site survey are detailed drawings of the areas to be covered by Ambicon ASCS.
Q: What kind of audio signal processing and improvement provides Ambicon ASCS?
A: Ambicon ASCS uses digital audio processing modules for: a) “Intelligent” automatic mixing of the microphones, b) audio dynamics shaping, c) noise cancellation. These digital audio processing modules contribute to increased intelligibility and signal purity while reducing the unwanted signals such as background noise from ventilation systems, noise from the equipment, reverberation in the room, noise outside the TWR windows, etc.
Q: How do we know that the provided system is working properly?
A: Ambicon ASCS has BITE self-testing process continuously running in the background and any fault in the whole signal chain will be detected and reported to the Maintenance and Configuration terminal.
Q: Does Ambicon ASCS provide SNMP agent?
A: Yes, it does.
Q: Are the components in Ambicon ASCS “of the shelf” items?
A: Yes, all components are available “commercially of the shelf”.
Q: Is the Ambicon ASCS system easily expandable?
A: Yes, any number of ACU 8 units and corresponding microphones can be added at any time without practical limitations as the control system can accommodate unlimited number of units, however for practical reasons we recommend to limit this number to <1000 of ACU08 units. Any changes in configuration are straightforward and easy to perform and can fully follow the changes to the CWP quantities and locations as introduced by the user.
Q: Do we need many spare parts?
A: No, only needed are a required spare quantities of the microphone types as used at CWPs and required number of spare ACU 8 units. The MTBF of microphones is typically 100,000 hours and of ACU 8 unit 35,000 hours.
Q: What is the start-up time of Ambicon ASCS?
A: Each ACU 8 unit is operating in <1 minute from cold start.